Oven for domestic ranges



Nov. 21, 1939. E. TA LoR D OMES IC R Aug. 2 19 FIG. 1

l IBY g @ATTORNEY Nov. 2l, 1939. r. E. TAYLOR n OVEN FOR DOMESTIC RANGES Filed Aug. 25, 1957 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 j ggxma xvm INVENTOR. THEIMAE E.TAYLDR.

'fATToRNEY.

Patented Nov. 2l, 1939 I PATENT OFFICEv f lovEN Foa no MEs'rrc nANGEs Thomas E. Taylor; Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Cleveland, h10, a

Cooperative Stove Company,

corporation of Ohio Application August 25, 1937, Serial No. 160,841

s claim.. (ci. 12s-'213) This invention relates to an oven for domestic cooking ranges of gas and electric type.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an oven having exaggerated diierences in temperature at different portions of the voven oor and compartment so that a number of different foods, each of which requires a different condition for cooking, may be placed in the oven simultaneously and cooked to the proper degree in the same interval of time.

More specific objects are to provide an oven in which the heating eiects, while diierent at different portions, are maintained uniform at the particular portions respectively, in which the heat is retained more eiciently, and in which heat is concentrated at localized floor areas, the temperature at the points of concentration being greatly in excess of the temperatures atother portions of the oven. l

Another specic and equally important object is to provide an oven in which substantially all common household foods may be cooked thoroughly at temperatures below the scorching temperature of the particular foods, and may be maintained in the oven fora period of several hours without danger of overcooking.

Another object is to provide an oven in which the heat from the heating source is applied substantially directly to localized areas of the floor which are offset from the mid-portion of the oor and in which heating media from the source enter the oven by convection at zones remote from the oor areas of concentrated heat.

Another object is to provide vents in the oven near the lower level of the oor and remote from the iloor areas of heat concentration and from the zone of introduction of the heating media so that the heated portions circulate entirely through the oven preparatory to discharge therefrom.

Another object is to apply heat directly to the oven floor near a forward corner thereof and cause heating media to flow from the zone of application beneath the floor level in a manner providing a gradually decrescent temperature on the floor in a direction away from the source of heat, and to cause the heated products to enter the oven compartment directly at a zone remote from the zone of application of heat to the oor and to discharge the products at a zone remote 'from their point of introduction into the oven compartment.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent-from thefollowing specification, wherein reference is made to the drawings in which- -on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1. l0

The present invention is useful, both in connection with gas-heated ovens and electric ovens, but, for the purposes of illustration, a gas-heated oven only will be described.

In the form illustrated, the oven compartment I is incorporated in a gas cooking range 2, and is provided with the usual inner side walls or liners 3, a top wall 4', and a rear wall 5, the front of the oven being-closed by the usual door 6. 'I'he floor of the oven is preferably in the form of 20 a removable' sheet metal panel l supported on brackets 8 which extend horizontally fore and aft of the oven compartment. Beneath the panel 'I and in spaced relation thereto, is a supplemental panel 9 which, with the panel l, defines a passage 25 for products of combustion or heating media from theburner or source of heat into the ovencompartment I. y In the form illustrated, the oven is heated by a small or low-'capacity gas burner E@ which is posi- 30' tioned near the front right-hand corner of the oven compartment beneath the oor or panel "l thereof, and which discharges into the space between the panels l and 9. The burner is preferably arranged to discharge a fan-shaped flame rearwardly between the panels 'l and 9 toward the V rear wall of the oven. Interposed between the burner I0 'andthe under side of the panel 'I is a cast-iron plate I2 for effecting more uniform distribution of the heat from the small concentrat- 40 ing burner over. a larger localized area of the n floor. At the margin ofthe oven compartment opposite from the burner, there is provided between the panel I and the side wall 3 a suitable passage I3 for the products of combustion from 45 the burner or heating media, from an electric heating element, if such is used. This passage preferably is provided by indenting the` liner 3 adjacent the bracket 8, this indentation extending vertically or about one-half of the height of the liner 3 so as to assure. a rapid rise of the products of combustion discharged through the passage I3. The plate I2 may be spaced very slightly below the under surface of the panel 1 so as to render the heat dischargedy therefrom and onto the panel more nearly uniform over the localized area of application onto the floor of the oven. Due to the position of the burner and its direction of discharge between the panels 'l and 9, the heated products pass rearwardly toward the right rear corner of the oven, as illustrated in Figure 3, and upon filling of the space between the channels tends to diffuse and flow as a gradually expanding curtain to the passage I3, at which point the heated products are distributed substantially uniformly fore and aft of the oven compartment. These products rise rapidly along the liner 3 toward the top of the compartment due to convection currents. If the oven were vented near its upper limit, in the customary' manner, however, sufllcient heat could not be supplied by the burner II) to maintain the cooking temperature in the oven regardless of the time of exposure to the foodthereto. lThe present oven, however, is provided with exhaust passages I5 in the rear wall substantially at or slightly above the oor of the oven or top surface of the panel l. The exhaust passages I5 are at the same side of the oven as the burner I0 and at the rear wall thereof so that the heated products from the burner necessarily must pass the entire width of the oven floor and upwardly through the oven and entirely therearound to the vents. Since the hot gases necessarily rise relative to the unheated gases, the heated gases cannot escape from the'oven until their heat is substantially dissipated or until they have been forced out by additional hot gases fromthe burner I0. Consequently, with a very small burner, the heat is retained for a sumcient period so that the entire oven may be raised to a slow cooking temperature. At about half way of the height of the oven compartment and also at about two-thirds the height thereof are provided brack ets IB` and I1, respectively, the brackets being arranged in pairs, one bracket of each pair being on each of the side liners of the oven. Each pair of brackets is arranged to slidably receive and support a grill shelf IB which, due to its adjustability in height, may be arranged to expose the foods to the higher temperature near the top of the oven or lower temperatures near the vertical mid-portion of the oven. A suitable stack 20 leads from the exhaust passages I5 to the usual discharge flue of the range. Regardless of the type of burner or heating element used it -is apparent that the oven floor is heated to the highest temperature at the front righthand corner portion. that is, directly over the burner, this area of higher temperature being substantially co-extenslve with the plate I2 and provided with a hot spot. Beginning at this zone or location, the temperature of the oor is gradually decrescent rearwardly and laterally toward the side opposite from the burner, the left rear corner generally being the least heated portion of the oor. In the oven compartment itself, the temperature effected, due to the ow of heated products of combustion or other heating media, is greatest on the shelf I8 directly over the passage I3, this temperature being gradually decrescent in the direction transversely of the oven away from the passage I3 and then downwardly toward the discharge passages I5. Obviously, so long as gases at cooking temperature are admitted through the passage I3, the upper strata of the gases in the oven compartment are maintained at the proper temperature, the temperature being gradually decrescent downward until they approach the zone of heat application venting of the oven, considerable moisture is` partially entrapped and maintained above the floor level, or, more particularly, above the level of the passages I5, thus preventing drying out of the foods being cooked. The oven is preferably operated at a temperature of about 175 F. at the level of the shelf I8 and' at this location the usual thermostatic control element may be installed. With the maintenance of 175 F temperature at the vertical mid-portion of the oven, the temperatures throughout the remainder thereof are such as are required for substantially all foods customarily used and the temperatures at various zones in the oven are so related that a large number of the customary foods may be placed in the oven in the proper localities at the same time subjected to the oven heat for the same period without over or under cooking any one of the foods. The burner I0 is usually so adjusted that, the oven being adjusted to maintain this temperature constantly, all of the foods can be cooked for a period of from eight to ten hours without danger of overcooking. The burner may be adjusted, however, for a more rapid cooking, if desired, and substantially the same relation between the various portions of the compartment will be maintained. 'This temperature recited,

however, is below the scorching temperature except at or adjacent the door area of concentration of the burner heat. In case an' electric heating element is used the heat therefrom may be distributed by the upper configuration of the heating element itself and the plate I2 accordinglyl eliminated. Thus the oven floor is provided with a concentrated heat zone or hot spot with a temperature decrescent in all directions therefrom. The foods cooked `are arranged in the oven in suitably covered receptacles, each cover having a small vent for the escape of vapor or gases developed in cooking. Foods requiring a higher temperature or a longer cooking period are disposed on the oor level adjacent the zone of heat concentration, that is, the zone overlying the plate I2. Those requiring progressively less temperature may be placed on the bottom at distances from the heat concentration zone proportional to the required cooking temperatures. The foods requiring still lower temperatures are placed on the shelf I8, as shown, in order from left to right in Figure 1, those requiring less heat being placed further from the left. For maintaining foods in warm condition after cooking, they may be disposed on the oor of the oven near the front center, and the burner reduced to provide about 150 F. at the rear mid-portion of the shelf I8.

The heat flow at the shelf level is substantially as described but there is much less variation in temperature for different portions, the heating of the oven at the left, due to the introduction of gases at the left of the oven, being somewhat balanced by heat radiated from the oor at the right and at the floor area of heat concentration.

It should be noted that the floor 1 is at and free from any appreciable protuberances so that the cooking receptacles rest directly thereon and heat is transferred to the bottoms of the receptacles by substantially entirely direct conduction instead of by convection across air spaces between the bottoms of the receptacles and the floor.

This relation is important as it makes possible the use of a lower capacity burner and allords more accurate control of heat applied to the receptacles at different portions of the oven floor.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a domestic cooking oven comprising an oven compartment having enclosing walls including a movable door and a heat-conducting substantially imperforate floor which is slidably' supported for removal and replacement through said door.. of heating means arranged to concentrate heat on a relatively limited area of the floor oilset from the mid-portion of the iloor and to maintain the floor in heated condition at gradually decrescent temperatures in a direction away from the area of concentrated heat. I

2. An oven comprising a closed compartment having a heat conducting, substantially imperiorate floor member slidably supported in the compartment for removal therefrom and replacement therein'and on which receptacles for food can be directly supported, the compartment having side, top and rear walls, the side walls having guides for the floor member, a burner beneath the floor member in closely spaced relation thereto, a heat absorbing and distributing relatively heavy metal plate interposed between the burner and the oor member and in very slightly spaced relation to the under side of the oor member for concentrating the heat from the lburner at a localized zone of the oor member and applying said heat substantially uniformly throughout said ZOIle.

3. In a domestic cooking oven comprising an oven compartment having enclosing walls and a heat-conducting oor, a low-capacity heating means positioned to concentrate heat on a relatively limited area of the oor, and means arranged for conducting gaseous media along the under side of the floor, thence directly into-the Voven compartment at one enclosing wall,and thence out of the compartment at another enclosing wall remote from 'the rst wall and at a low elevation in the compartment for progressively of the products of combustion constraining heated media from the heating means from discharge from the oven compartment until the heat thereof is so dissipated into` the oven that the heated media discharged is at substantially the lowest temperature of the heated media in the oven compartment.`

4. vAn` oven comprising a closed compartment havingside, top and rear walls, a burner beneath the floor in closely spaced relation thereto, a heat absorbing and distributing metal plate interposed between the burner and the iloor and in very slightly spaced relation to the under side of the oor for concentrating heat from the burner at a localized zone of the oven floor and for applying said heat substantially uniformly throughout said zone, said zone being positioned in spaced relation -to the mid-portion of the oven iloor, means beneath the oor providing therewith a conduit -for products of combustion from said burner and discharging into the oven compartment at a zone remote from said zone of heat concentration, ex haust passages -in one of the walls of the compartment remote from the point of introduction of the products of combustion, and a shelf supportedin the compartment above the vertical mid-portion of the oven compartment 5. An oven comprising a closed compartment having side, top and rear walls, a burner beneath the floor in closely spaced relation thereto, a heat absorbing and distributing metal plate interposed between the burner and the floor and in very slightly spaced relation to the under side of the door for concentrating heat from the burner at a localized zone of the oven ioor and for applying said heat substantially uniformlyk throughout said zone, said zone being positioned in spaced relation to the mid-portion of the oven floor, means beneath the oor and providing therewith a conduit for products of combustion from said burner and discharging into the oven compartment upwardly and at a zone remote from said zone of heat concentration, and exhaust passages in one `oi the walls of the compartment near the oor level and, remote from the point of lintroduction into the compart-v ment.

THOMAS E. TAYLOR. 

